Grate



(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 2;

' L. BANNISTER.

GRATE.

No. 297,340. Patented Apr. 22, 1884.

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ENiTED rates PATENT @rrrce.

LEMUEL BANNISTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,340, dated April22, 1884:.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL BANNISTER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia. and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention more especially relates to that class of grates the bars ofwhich are capable of being rocked separately and simultaneously for thepurpose of agitating; the fuel, thegrate being also adapted readily tobe dumped to clear the fire-box.

My improvements consist in certain novel organizations ofinstrumentalities for attaining these results.

The subject-matter claimed is hereinafter specifically designated.

The accompanying drawings represent so much only of the mechanism as isnecessary to illustrate the subjectniatter claimed, and show theinvention as adapted to a round grate. My improvements are clearlyapplicable, however, to grates of polygonal outline. \Vhere this latterform is employed a series of such grates might be used to secure a longfire-box or furnace, each section of which could be raked or dumped withfacility.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a grate with a portion of itssupporting base or casing broken away to show the parts beneath. Fig. 2represents a central longitudinal section therethrough on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse section therethroughon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking toward the front or handle end of thegrate. Fig. 4 represents a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4of Fig. 1, showing the ends of the grate-bars, their pendants, andcouplingbar, as seen from the front; and Fig. 5 represents a verticallongitudinal central section through one of the central grate-bars.

The base or casing A is shown as adapted to rest upon the ordinaryash-pit of a stove or furnace. The grate supporting frame or ring B isprovided with trunnions or journals I), which rock in bearings aim thecase. The trunnions and bearings may be cast solid with the grate frameor casing, respectively, or they may be detachably connected therewithin well-known ways. These trunnions or pivots,

it will be observed, are eccentric to the grateframe-that is, they lieon one side of the central line passing transversely therethroughinorder to create a preponderance at one end of the frame to cause thegrate to tip more readily. They may, however, be central.

In the drawings the grate is shown with its pivots nearer the front thanthe back in order to enable the grate readily to be lifted after beingdumped. Its preponderance of weight is supported by a back-stop, a,which may form a part of the casing or be detachably connectedtherewith.

means of a rod or handle, B. projecting thereplaced.

The grate-bars O are shown as provided at:

each end with trunnions c, resting in open bearings b in the grate-frameB. The grate-bars are of the well-known studded, spiked, or wingedvariety, slotted longitudinally, and

provided with connecting-webs at intervals,

as shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings. The gratebars represented in thedrawings are substantially similar to those shown in Letters Patent No.273,437, granted to me March 6, 1883.

The form of the grate-bars, however, constitutes no part of theinvention herein claimed, and their construction may be varied invarious well-known ways without departing from the principle of myinvention. A polygonal head, 0, is formed on each grate-bar between:

its front spur and trunnion to receive the correspondingly-socketed headof a pendant, D. The pendant-heads are enlarged or provided with wings(I, so as nearly to fill up the spaces between the grate-bars, and beingwithin the firebox assist materially in agitating the fuel. Each pendantis pivoted to a coupling-bar, E, beneath the grate. An eye, 6, on oneend of this coupling-bar fits loosely on a link-rod, F, the other end ofwhich is pivoted to alever,G, rocking on a pivot, on a bracket outsidethe easing, thus constituting a loose or swivel-joint connection betweenthem. Arocking lever, H, provided with a socket, h, tits on the head 9As the bear-= .-70 the grateframe can readily be removed or re- Thegrate is rocked by of the rocking lever, to rock the grate in well- I Iclaim as of my own inventionknown w ys. Thelowerend,f, of thelink-rod Fis curved in the arc of a circle of which the trunnions b of the grateconstitute the center, and consequently when the grateis dumped thecoupling-bar slides down, thus connecting the rod without straining it.The bolts 6, connect ing the pendants D with the coupling-bar E, passthrough oblong slots in said bar, to permit a slight amount of play tocompensate for any eccentricity of the grate bars or pendants. The 1inkrod F is connected with the rocking lever G by a pivot, f, whichaccommodates the dumping movement of the grate above referred to. Thelink-rod traverses in a slot or guide, F, in the case A, the bottom ofwhich serves as a rest or support for the link-rod when the grate isdumped. This slotshould be made of such size and shape as readily topermit the link-rod or coupling-link F to be detached from thecoupling-bar E, and may be closed by a removable plate or door inwell-known ways.

The operation of the apparatus will readily be understood from theforegoing description.

The open bearings, as before remarked, permit of the ready removal orreplacement of the grate-frame and grate-bars. Great facil- -'ity istherefore afforded for ready access to all parts of the grate forcleaning or for other purposes, and the parts may also be assembledrapidly without difliculty. The latter can readily be rocked to agitatethe fuel, and the whole grate can be dumped at once, instead'ofdumpingeach grate-barseparately. Thisrocking is readily eifected bydetachingthe handle B, and as the preponderance of weight of the grateis to the rear it readily returns toitsnormal position, the link-rod Fand its guide f readily accommodating the movements of the coupling-barto this rocking movement.

It will also be obvious, so far as part of my invention is concerned,that the gratebars might be arranged crosswise, instead of extendingfrom front to back, as shown in the drawings, without otherwise varyingthe construction.

I am aware that, broadly, a pivoted dumping grate-frame has beenprovided with gratebars pivoted transversely to the pivot of the frameand with devices for rocking the bars,

I am aware that a grate-frame having open bearings forthe reception ofrocking bars is old.

1. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of thecasing, the grate-frame pivoted therein, the grate-bars pivoted in thegrate-frame, their pendants, the coupling-bar, the link-rod connectedwith the bar by aswivelconnection, and the curved guide on the linkrodto enable the coupling-bar to conform without strain to the tiltingmovements of the grate.

2. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, of thetilting grate-frame, the grate-bars'rocking therein, the pendants, thecoupling-bar, the link-rod, the swivel-connection between the bar andlink, and the guideslot in the casing.

3. The combination, substantiallyas herein- 7 before set forth, of thecasing, its open bearings, the grateframe, its trunnions resting in saidbearings, the open bearings of the grateframe, and the gratebars restingtherein, whereby both the grate;frame and grate-bars readily may beassembled or separated from each other and from the casing.

4. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the grate-frame, thegratebars, the pendants for rocking the grate-bars interposed betweenthe studs and trunnions of the gratebars inside the grate-frame, and thewings (Z of the pendants, which constitute gratebar teeth which serve toagitate the fuel.

5. The combination, substantiallyashereinbefore set forth, of thecasing, the tilting grateframe, the grate-bars rocking therein, thetilting-handle of the grate-frame, the pendants, their enlarged heads,the coupling-bar, the link-rod, the loose or swivel-joint connectionbetween the bar and link, the rocking lever, and the guide-slot in thecasing.

6. The combination of the casing. the pivoted grate-frame, the trunnionson the sides of the grate-frame on which the frame rocks, the handlerigidly secured to thefront of the grateframe, and means for suspendingthe handle so as to hold the grate in ahorizontalpositi'on,

